Monday, March 19

“It's Fri—taaa—taa!”

Every Friday after school, my mom and I delivered groceries to my grandmother in her little apartment. (More about her here). We arrived at her front door, arms heavy with Stop n' Shop bags, and would ring the bell with a free elbow. Invariably, I would complain about how long it was taking her. (I swear, it took her 5 minutes to walk the 10 feet from her recliner to the front door). And invariably, we would hear her voice from within, “Aspette! Aspette!” (Wait! Wait!). With my arms completely numb by this point, she would finally let us in and exclaim: “Oooohh, I’m so glad you came! I just made a nice fri—taaa—taa. You’ll have some.” She said it every time as if she didn’t expect us.

Though we ate frittata often at home, I associate it most with Spring and with Nan; Fridays during Lent we would abstain from meat, so she always made a simple vegetable frittata, which was waiting for us when we arrived.

On a typical New England March day (rainy and raw), we couldn’t wait to get inside her toasty warm apartment where the thermostat was always set at 78 degrees. Her cramped apartment exuded comfort: as a girl, I loved the way every nook and cranny was filled with furniture and heirlooms and the way the smell of baked goods and coffee filled the rooms. It was so quiet that I would just sit crouched on her sofa in the few beams of light from the late afternoon sun and listen to the ticking of her grandfather clock. After filling ourselves on frittata, my grandmother (and oftentimes my mother and I!) would fall asleep.

Frittata is really nothing more than eggs with vegetables, cheeses, or meats cooked into it. Yet, made the right way, it is oh-so-satisfying. Of the countless delicious meals my grandmother made, my mother still says her frittatas were the best. They were always simple: potato and onion, sausage and pepper, or spinach and Parmesan. Invariably, we would ask her: “But Nan, what do you do? Nobody makes frittata like you.” To which she would shrug her shoulders, throw her hand in the air, and reply,“What? What do I do? It’s frittata,” then smile to herself. She loved the compliment, and we knew it.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a small bowl; add fresh basil, parsley, cheese, salt, and red pepper. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet. With a fork, gently move the egg mixture from side to side as it begins to cook to ensure that it cooks evenly. Do this until the eggs start to solidify and a crust begins to form around the edges. This takes about 5-8 minutes. Give the pan handle a jiggle, and when the eggs appear set, remove the pan from the stovetop and place under the broiler. Broil for 3-4 minutes, until the top begins to puff up and turn a golden brown. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn’t burn. Once nicely browned, let cool for a couple of minutes before slicing. Serve hot or at room temperature. Makes 2 large or 4 small servings.

Leftovers? Try a Frittata Sandwich

Since no one left Nan's house without food (ever), we would often eat frittata for lunch the next day. Mom would put it on toasted Italian bread with a little bit of homemade tomato sauce ("gravy" for the RI readers) and melted mozzarella. It's one of Jeff's favorites.

71 comments:

Such a lovely photo of the three generations of women in your family! I love frittata, too. When I make a veggie one, I don't mix the parm in it, but sprinkle it on the top before the frittata goes under the broiler. Will try it your way, to compare.

ciao Susan, siete bellissime! you, your mamma end your nan are very beautiful :) ..so.. when I read your stories about you and your nan, I'm feel a little bit of jealousy, because both my nan's died when I was child...and I was grow up missing them... your nan give you a lot of love, and also her traditional know-how about food! she seem very adorable :-):-* grazie for this frittata-recipe, good week! isa

Susan, whenever u write about ur nana, I am so touched ...as I was very close to my grandma too.hmm...frittatas....urs look yummy toooooo :) Perhaps, ur grandkids will tell the same about ur firttatas, who knows ! :)

Isabilla-You know, Nan is the only grandparent I knew growing up. My other grandmother passed away a couple of days after I was born, and I never had the opportunity to meet my grandfathers. You're right, food bound us together, and I like to think I inherited my love for Italian cooking from Nan (and Mom). Thanks for your lovely note.

Sig-Thank you! A frittata is made from eggs with veggies, etc. cooked into it, whereas a tortilla is made from ground corn or flour. Perhaps you're thinking of a tortilla made with eggs, like heuvos rancheros? Those are delicious.

Craig-I'm a taken woman. A happy one too. Good luck with the Thai frittata.

Brilynn-It is fun to say, isn't it?

Mishmash-What a lovely thought. Thank you so much.

Valentina-I can guarantee you that you just made my mom's day.:)

Terry B-I agree. The sweetness of the red peppers balances the pungency of the onions nicely.

Tigerfish-I hope you try it! They are so easy, versatile, and delicious.

Hey Susan,u look just like ur mom.and thats a wonderful pic of all 3 of u.Mums food is the best ...no matter what they make...even if it is just a fritata.I wish my gran was around:-(She would've really been happy to see me today.

This is a wonderful post, and a tasty lookin' frittata! I've got to say that I love the idea of a frittata sandwich, what a great idea for using up leftovers! Thank you so much for taking part in this event :)

I LOVE frittata and actually made one for supper tonight! Asparagus, mushroom, and tomato. Yum! Can't wait for zucchini and squash to be affordable and want to try eggplant as well. YUM!!!! Great summer and spring food.

I think it is all that great cooking in your family, because your mother and grandmother are gorgeous and so young! Also, I never said this, but I love your leftover idea. What a delicious post, I am in the mood for pan-fried eggs now!

What a wonderful idea to make it into a sandwich! I never thought of that. I love fritattas and I like to make it different each time, experimenting with new ingredients. Now I have another one! :) I loved reading your story of Nan, and bringing her those groceries and how she'd make you wait all the time at the door. It made me smile. :) I could almsot see her so excited all day Friday cooking those fritatas in the kitchen, hardly able to wait for you and your mom to arrive. She's lucky to have you both. :)

I thought I was looking at Glamour magazine, and not foodblogga hehe, 3 charlie's angels on the front cover, nice one, Susan :) Btw, love all sorts of frittatas, you can basically whip it up with anything with eggs. I see you don't use flour ? That's great :) By the way, I did my frittata a while back, I used fish with herbs and spices, just thought I share it with you here :)

What a great post - and a wonderful photo of three generations together. You are so lucky to know your nan - I only met two of my grandparents and never lived in the same town as them. I love frittata too - so easy and always satisfying. In the unlikely event that my husband ever leaves any leftovers (!!) I will definitely try the frittata sandwich idea - mmmm!

Susan - what an absolutely lovely story. By the way, you look so much like your mother and grandmother! My father always makes frittatas for a breakfast/brunch treat, and every time I make one I think of family too.

Three generations of gorgeous women. Susan, you touched my heart in every way. Loved that story so much that I've bookmarked it to be able to read it over and over again. The fri-taa-taa does sound delicious with all those wonderful aromas and flavors. Thank you for this post Susan!

This is a very touching story, and food is always bound to family stories (or at least is for me)! The picture with the three of you is simply fantastic! :) In Italy frittata is very common, is often made with leftovers and is the ideal meal when you're out of time. Italian frittata and Spanish tortillas are basically the same thing: maybe the big difference is that tortillas are thicker and smaller than frittata but that also doesn't occur all the time. The best known Spanish tortillas are the "tortilla de patatas" (with potatoes) and the "tortilla de cebollas" (with onions), but sometimes they're mixed together. They're also often served as "tapas" (small appetizers) in pubs and bars during happy hours.

My grandma always used to say Aspette too! But she never made frittatas. I have never successfully made a frittata. I've tried them a few times but they always burn or else I end up with scrambled eggs.

This is the first time that I see your blog and I am already delighted by its stories and the recipes. Like you, my nana was my insperation and my best friend.She was also my full time baby-sitter until the age of four. Every time I miss her, I make her signature dish: roasted chicken with roasted potatoes. For the frittata, I have never seen one in a sandwich. Looks delicious though. I am happy that I came across your blog, I'll be back and I hope you are feeling better.

I just googled frittata and found this post. This is a really great story. I too had an Italian grandmother who I called Nonna who made very simple and delicious dishes like frittata. Nonna passed away several years ago, and I pretty much stopped eating frittatas, but after reading this it makes me think I should try them again. She would be proud I think. Thanks again for a beautiful story. Denise from New England